Did Humans Stop an Ice Age?

Comments on "How did humans first alter global climate?"

by

William F. Ruddiman, Scientific American, March 2005

I was intrigued by the William Ruddiman article
published in Climatic Change I
referred to last year. He has continued to investigate the possible
effects of early agriculture on climate. His recent article in the Scientific
American is very readable and well illustrated. He suggests that
atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane changes brought about by early
agriculture have held off the onset of another ice age. His review of previous
ice age cycles indicates North America and Europe would be cooler now by three or
four degrees Celsius without those changes to atmospheric composition brought
about by human activity several thousand years ago. That is a very good thing
from my location and point of view here in Lethbridge, Alberta. Professor
Ruddiman's conclusions suggest he is more concerned with the onset of an ice age
than with the warming blip anticipated from fossil fuel consumption. It will be
interesting to see if the prominence given his findings from Scientific American
publication results in serious introspection with respect to our current
state of hysteria over global warming. (DRP 05/03/28)